


Night Cafe

by strawberrylace



Category: Arctic Monkeys, British Singers RPF
Genre: Cute, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-22 22:53:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6096597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrylace/pseuds/strawberrylace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex is Miles' favorite customer and bear claws aren't the real reason why Alex only comes to this cafe. </p><p>Based on this Tumblr prompt: “I come to this café pretty much every day and by now you know my order by heart and even wave at me when I come in.” AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night Cafe

It is a common misconception that professors are just overpaid teachers seeking to enrich the lives of those who pursue higher education. It is also a common misconception that professors do their work simply for the money. If this had been the case for Professor Turner, he’d have pursued a much greater occupation than one in the education field. 

Alex was a man of great regard and quite reserved. Among his colleagues, he was well-versed and astute. To his students, he was an unusual man with great panache. He spent long hours devoting his time to research and seeking out the greater good of enrichening his students’ lives. Those long nights he spent at the University, well past his office hours, often lead him to coming home at later nights. Rather than zap himself a TV dinner in the microwave, he’d frequent to a quaint little café to grab himself a bite to eat. 

Alex was always the last customer in when he’d come by. The nighttime was the only time he ever came into the café. It was an Italian café owned by an old couple who ran a respectable business. Those who came by and worked there were all very friendly people. The coffee was exceptional and the same could be said about the baked goods. But to be frank, the food and the atmosphere weren’t the real reason as to why Alex liked to frequent the café so much. There was a more specific reason as to why he liked to come in at the hour he came in. 

Miles had known the couple he worked for since the time he was born. They were his godparents and he grew up playing with their children in primary school. While Miles worked on composing pieces for other artists during the day, he would work the night shift at the café, often staying well past closing time. Not that he had a problem with it. The Pascucci’s were like a second pair of parents for him and they treated him well. Actually, he rather enjoyed staying late at the café, mainly because of one particular customer who came in nearly every day. 

This young man who came in looked to be a scholarly man, always carrying loads of books and papers with him every time he came in. Miles had his whole order memorized. Actually he knew all of his usuals’ orders by heart but this customer in particular he paid extra attention to. A couple of times, he would prepare the order ahead of time, making sure he had at least one bear claw reserved especially for him. One time, Mr. Pascucci had asked about this and Miles tried to think of an excuse for this but there was no denying why Miles was really doing all of this. 

“He’s a handsome man, I see,” said Mr. Pascucci. “But you can’t expect a relationship to bloom just by knowing how he likes his coffee.”  
Of course Miles knew this but how was he to approach him? Every time he came in, the young lad had his head in his books and notes, just glancing up every now and then, as he sipped his espresso and ate his bear claw. As soon as he finished, he thanked Miles and out the door he was. How could one build a relationship on the few words that were interacted between the two of them? 

It had been a couple of months since Alex had first started coming to the café. It was a dark and unseasonably warm Friday night in March. Students had just finished with their first major assignment and Alex had a lot of paperwork to go over. He was able to make a dent earlier that day but he wanted to get as much out of the way as possible. There was only so much he could read in regards to analyses. He walked along the sidewalk, looking the shops up and down. Some were already closed or were just about to close. The local arthouse theater was playing a French film marathon, as he saw in the bright flashing lights. But he wasn’t interested in a movie. 

Alex continued to walk along until he saw the young man in the café window waving to him, greeting him like an old friend. He smiled, feeling a great deal of comfort knowing he was waiting for him. Look how cute he looked, Alex thought to himself. Dressed so chic in a dark blue polka dot shirt and his cranberry pants. A shaved head was something he could never see himself doing but this guy looked so cool. He’d wanted to tell him that and more but alas, it was best to keep everything professional. He worried what would happen if he pried too much into his life, never even knowing his name. 

There he was, Miles thought to himself. Miles was worried for a moment. It had been getting so close to closing time that perhaps maybe he had forgotten to stop by. He waved at him, feeling as giddy as a school girl. Was it too much? Miles worried he thought it was rather desperate of him. Desperate for the attention of a guy he barely knew! Why, what good would it be to know an order if he didn’t know his favorite customer’s name? The door opened, a small ring from the bells, as he stepped inside the café. 

“You still open?” Alex drawled out

Miles, forgetting to speak for a moment, simply nodded his head. 

“At least you’re still open. It’s been a long day.” 

Alex took his coat off and hung it up on the coat rack near the door. He walked over to the counter and leaned in to look at all the baked goods. Miles couldn’t help by eye his attire up and down. Mint green jacket, crisp button down white shirt, and a pair of straight legged jeans. He was quite surprised with how unusual his wardrobe looked today but it looked so good on him. Had it been on anyone else, it might have looked tacky. 

“I’ll have a-“ 

Miles went to the counter to prepare the espresso. Alex watched him carefully as he prepared the drink and went to bring him his bear claw. He looked at him in bewilderment, wondering if he should be flattered that Miles knew his order by heart or worried at how boring his order was. Miles set down the cup with the bear claw and smiled. 

“Ya want to, um…are ya, uh, busy with anything?” asked Alex. 

Miles looked out the window. It looked like no one was going to come in. It was well beyond closing time and Miles was just about the switch the sign over. 

“No, not at all.” 

“This is going to sound rather strange but…” Alex scratched his neck, looking down at his shoes as he silently cursed before looking back up at Miles with eyes wide and brown. 

“Ya want to sit down with me? Unless someone else comes in then, I understand and all.” 

Miles, quite puzzled by the request, nodded his head and smiled politely. “It’s not a problem at all..uh?” 

“Alex, they call me Professor Turner but please call me Alex. Or Al, whatever suits.” 

“Alex,” Miles liked how his name sounded. “Miles, in case…” 

“Miles, my favorite server.” 

Miles smirked as he sat down with Alex, papers and books in tow, at one of the little café tables over by the window. The two of them talked about Miles’ compositions, Alex’s disdain for grading analyses as well as the book of John Cooper Clark poems he was currently editing. The two of them talked well past the closing time and the night had grown darker. When Alex had finished, Miles went up to clean everything else up in the café. Alex went up to the cash register and placed his money on the counter. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Miles assured him, pushing the money back. “I can take care of that.” 

“No no, you’re much too kind,” said Alex, shaking his head. “I mean, I certainly owe ya more with all the time I spend here and you constantly having to wait for me to close up. I don’t know how you are so patient with me.” 

“But I don’t mind one bit, ya see. Actually, you’re probably the best part about me day. Or night for lack of a better word.” 

Alex’s heart stopped for a second, feeling quite humbled that Miles’ feeling was very mutual. 

“In fact, I was hoping that perhaps, we could go out sometime. I know it seems rather odd, seeing as I know so little about you. But even if I only know your order, I still hope I can know more. I think about that quite a bit, moreso than I’d like to admit. Why, tonight was just the beginning!” 

Alex chuckled and then smiled. “You have any idea how delighted I’d be to go out on a date with you? To be honest, you’re the real reason as to why I come in here every night.” 

The prospect of a new relationship excited them. As they went their separate ways, Alex kissed Miles on the cheek and bid him a good night. Going back home, Alex wasn’t thinking about the grading curve he would have to give his students and it was a nice change of thought. Miles couldn’t wait to tell Mr. Pascucci about his favorite customer. Neither had figured out where they would go on their first date but one thing was certain, they would always have the café at night.


End file.
